Freedom of Expression: Turkey

(1,012 words)

Turkish women enjoy a broad array of constitutionally guaranteed rights
that remain largely unparalleled in the rest of the Muslim world.
Turkey's
drive to become a full member of the European Union (EU) has added great
impetus to
democratization
in general and to the expansion of free expression in particular. Yet,
Turkey's
rigidly pro-secular policies, while enabling women to compete with men
professionally and socially, have also restricted free religious
expression of openly pious women.

Bans on the Islamic-style headscarf in government institutions and in
both sta…